NFL Takeaways: Week 1

Fantasy football is back. NFL Redzone is back. NFL Sunday Ticket is back. Razzball Sunday Sit/Start Live is back. NFL Takeaways are back. Did I mention NFL football is back? It’s all back, and we’re all here for it at Razzball. Let’s go over my Week 1 takeaways as we look forward to Week 2.

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Quarterbacks

Player: Justin Fields
Game: vs. Steelers
Stats: 16/22, 218 passing yards, 1 TD with 48 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs

The Fields’ slander will take a backseat for at least one week after an incredible performance. He looked like a different player with the Jets. His rushing prowess is going to elevate his fantasy value and he clearly has chemistry with Garrett Wilson. I don’t want to crown him as a must-start yet, but it’s hard not to after his QB2 finish. He’ll face Buffalo in Week 2, who allowed Lamar Jackson to finish as the QB4 this week. Could Fields be Jackson-lite?

Notables:

Josh Allen reminded us why he is the QB1 in fantasy and in real life by nearly throwing for 400 yards and scoring four TDs, two in the air and two on the ground. The Ravens allowed the seventh-most points to QBs last season, and game script will continue to aid opposing QBs against Baltimore with their dominant run game.

Geno Smith threw for the second-most yards in Week 1 with 62 yards, adding one TD and one Int. An impressive Week 1 debut with the Raiders as the Patriots were allowed the 15th fewest points to QBs in ’24. He’ll have QB2 appeal in superflex leagues in Week 2 in Vegas against the Chargers, who allowed Patrick Mahomes to finish as QB4 without Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy.

Did anyone predict four passing TDs for Aaron Rodgers’ debut for the Steelers? I didn’t. The Jets allowed the second-fewest QB passing TDs with 18 last season. For those wondering, Rodgers last threw four TDs on 12/12/2021 as a member of the Packers against the Bears. He’ll face the Seahawks in his Pittsburgh home debut in Week 2, who allowed the 14th-fewest points to QBs in ’24.

Joe Burrow had a pedestrian outing with 113 passing yards and one TD at Cleveland. He’ll face the Jaguars, who limited Bryce Young to 151 passing yards and one TD with three turnovers.

Daniel Jones was the QB2, posting 272 passing yards with one TD, adding 7 carries for 26 yards and 2 TDs against Miami, who allowed the second-fewest points to QBs last season. Which version of Danny Dimes will we see against Denver in Week 2?

Cam Ward had the difficult task of facing the Broncos, who allowed the ninth-fewest points to QBs last season. While his numbers were not good, Ward looked the part. Better days are ahead for him and the Titans.

Baker Mayfield threw three TDs at Atlanta in Week 1. He threw three TDs against Atlanta in both games last season. For those keeping tally, he’s on pace to throw for 51 TDs. Once Chris Godwin returns, Mayfield could lead the league in passing TDs.

Running Backs

Player: Bijan Robinson
Game: vs. Buccaneers
Stats: 12 carries, 24 rushing yards, with six receptions for 100 yards and one passing TD

His fantasy output was heavily weighted by his 50-yard TD catch in the first quarter. Tampa Bay ranked as the sixth-best defense against RBs in ’24 and stayed on brand, limiting room for Robinson to operate as a rusher. Robinson may be relied on more in the passing game as Drake London left the game late with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Falcons will travel to Minnesota, which allowed the seventh-fewest to RBs a season ago.

Notables:

Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ rushing attack are nothing short of brilliant in the passing era of the NFL. He tore up Buffalo last season to a tune of 199 and one TD. After posting 169 rushing yards and two TDs in Week 1, I feel like he should have done better!

Breece Hall’s demise was highly exaggerated, with 107 rushing yards on 19 carries and two catches for 38 yards. Braelon Allen saw six carries for nine yards, but scored a rushing TD.

De’Vone Achane tallied 75 all-purpose yards on 10 touches and added a passing score. Miami did not look good against the Colts. Achane might be the only Fins player I feel comfortable starting against the Patriots in Week 2.

Travis Etienne Jr. is the RB1 in Jacksonville after rushing for a Week 1-high 143 yards on 16 attempts with three receptions for 13 yards against the Panthers. Carolina allowed the most points to RBs a year, and they appear to be on track for an encore. Tank Bigsby and Bhayshul Tuten combined for eight touches for 23 yards on zero targets. The Jags led the entire game, which should have favored Bigsby’s playing style, but he was not involved. Something to monitor next week at Cincinnati that allowed a Week 1-high eight receptions and 64 yards to Browns rookie RB Dylan Sampson.

Sampson led the Browns’ backfield with 20 touches but only 29 rushing yards, while Jerome Ford tallied seven touches for five yards. Quinshon Judkins is set to meet with the NFL next week and could make his professional debut in Week 2 against the Ravens.

Alvin Kamara rushed 11 times for 45 yards with one TD, adding two catches for 12 yards against the Cardinals, who allowed the ninth-most points to RBs. Not sure why he did not have more receptions as the Saints trailed the whole second half. He’ll have his chance to add some catches against the Niners in Week 2, who gave up 81 catches (eighth-most) to RBs in ’24.

Bucky Irving appears poised to take Tampa Bay’s backfield after recording 18 touches and a receiving score at Atlanta. Rachaad White and Sean Tucker combined for five touches.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt tallied 10 attempts for 82 yards and one TD. Chris Rodriguez was a surprise inactive. Austin Ekeler added nine touches for 57 yards (three receptions on three targets). As expected, Jayden Daniels tacked on 68 rushing yards on a team-high 11 carries.

Josh Jacobs picked up where he left off last season with 20 touches (19 carries/one reception) for 70 yards and one TD. He averaged 20 touches per game last season. Jacobs continued his streak to nine consecutive games with a rushing score dating back to ’24. A rushing score should happen next week against Washington, which allowed 16 rushing scores to RBs last season.

Kyren Williams’ value looks intact with 18 carries for 66 yards and one rushing score, while adding one catch for three yards. He’s the definition of a value pick in fanatsy. He’ll face the Titans in Week 2, who allowed Denver RBs to combine for 133 yards and a score.

Broncos RBs on paper appear to be in a 70/30 split as JK Dobbins rushed 16 times for 63 yards with a rushing TD, and RJ Harvey carried the ball six times for 70 yards. Harvey showcased his big-play ability with an explosive 50-yard scamper. I expect the split to get closer to 50/50, with Harvey’s role being game script dependent.

Rookie TreVeyon Henderson, with 11 touches (six receptions), outpaced Rhamondre Stevenson’s nine touches. Neither did much with their touches; however, the rookie looked better upon the eye test.

Ashton Jeanty dominated the touches for the Raiders with 19 carries for 38 yards and a TD. Better yardage outputs are ahead for the top rookie RB, but it’s slightly disappointing considering NE allowed the third most rushing yards to RBs a season ago.

The Texans’ backfield is a mess and should be avoided moving forward. Nick Chubb paced the backfield with 13 carries, as four RBs attempted a rush. Dare Ogunbowale fumbled the game away, which could lead to more touches for the rookie Woody Marks.

Christian McCaffrey had 31 touches in Week 1. It’s safe to say his calf injury was blown out of proportion. The Niners will need all his touches with the injury bug to their offense.

Wide Receivers

Player: Puka Nacua
Game: vs. Texans
Stats: 10 receptions, 130 receiving yards on 11 targets

Nacua’s push for the WR1 crown started on a high note, leading all WRs with 130 receiving yards until Zay Flowers put up 143 on Sunday Night. Nacua only drew double-digit targets four times last season, but when he did, he had three finishes in the top 10 and a WR15 finish. His teammate Davante Adams drew eight targets, tallying four grabs for 51 yards. Nacua is and will be the top WR in LA.

Notables:

Emeka Egbuka started his career on a high note with two receiving TDs, with his second score ending up as a 25-yard game-winner. Egbuka tallied six targets, behind Mike Evans’ team-leading eight targets.

Garrett Wilson looks great with Justin Fields under center. Wilson finishes as the WR4 in Week 1. If he continues to receive a 40% target share, he’ll have another WR1 season. The Bills are up next.

Deebo Samuel’s usage in Washington’s debut was unexpected, but they traded for him for a reason. He was one of 10 WRs to garner double-digit targets in Week 1. Terry McClaurin only drew four targets, but expect him to ramp up after missing the preseason due to a contract dispute.

The Saints’ passing attack looked competent behind Spencer Rattler. Chris Olave’s 13 targets were enticing to say the least.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the clear WR1 for Sam Darnold with 13 targets on 23 pass attempts. Cooper Kupp saw a distant three targets as no other WR was involved. The Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh in Week 2, where they just allowed a hyper-targeted Wilson to excel.

Ricky Pearsall’s value has never been any higher after continual injuries to the 49ers’ pass catchers. He’ll face the Saints in Week 2, so the game script may not be favorable, but he follows up with Arizona and Jacksonville.

Tetairoa McMillan drew nine targets in his career debut on the road in Jacksonville. He led his team in receiving categories, which is encouraging, but his QB play has to get better for him to bring weekly WR3 value.

Can Malik Nabers get Jaxson Dart already?

Drake London’s dropped a few TDs and is dealing with a shoulder injury. His 15 targets were the second-highest in Week 1 behind Hollywood Brown. The 36% target share is nearly the 38% we saw in three games with Penix in ’24. We’ll see how important he is to the Falcons’ offensive success.

Courtland Sutton was undervalued in drafts, securing his first TD from Bo Nix. His finish in ’24 was no fluke and would not surprise me if he compiled his best season as a Bronco.

The Patriots’ WR box score was perplexing as Kayshon Boutte paced NE in targets, yards, and receptions. Pop Douglas scored a TD and ended up with negative yardage.

Brian Thomas Jr. saved his day with a rushing score. Travis Hunter ended up with more targets, yards, and receptions. Could this be a trend under Liam Cohen? If the Bengals’ secondary does not provide a remedy for BTJ, consider me worried!

Nico Collins and the Texans passing attack should bounce in Week 2 against Tampa Bay who allowed 298 passing yards to the Falcons in Week 1.

Tight Ends

Player: Brock Bowers
Game: at New England
Stats: 5 receptions, 103 yards, 8 targets

The consensus TE1 did not disappoint. He was the only TE to go over the century mark in Week 1. He was also one of seven pass catchers (5 WRs, 1 RB) to go over 100 receiving yards in Week 1. He’s fantasy cheat code. Congrats to those who acquired his services. He appears to be dealing with a knee injury, but hopefully, is nothing to be concerned with.

Notables:

George Kittle caught a TD and left the game with a hamstring injury. Oh boy, here we go with Kittle. Why can’t we have nice things?

Tyler Warren led all Colts pass catchers with nine targets. He clearly has a role within Indy’s offense. He’ll have a stiff test against the Broncos, who shut down Chig Okonkwo.

Is this the breakout year for Juwan Johnson? The Saints should be playing catch-up in most of their games, and if Kamara is not getting seeing targets, Johnson looks to be the beneficiary.

Harold Fannin Jr. could be a thing for the Browns alongside David Njoku. I would take the wait-and-see approach since the Bengals allowed the most points to TEs last season.

Tucker Kraft scored an opening drive TD, then disappeared for the rest of the game. He’ll be a top 10 TE for me, but expect some of these performances this season, since the Pack spread the wealth among their pass catchers.

Trey McBride was involved often and early with Kyler, but the Cardinals’ offense stalled in the second half. Fortunately, McBride will face the Panthers in Week 2, who allowed double-digit points to TEs in ’24.

It’s hard to be mad about Kyle Pitts Sr’s eight targets with Penix in Week 1. It’s easy to envision him being the top pass catcher in ATL should London miss time with his shoulder. His real test is next week against Minnesota, which allowed the ninth-fewest points to TEs last season. The Vikings face a pair of solid TEs in Chicago on Monday Night Football.

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